Beau Greaves insists she will 'learn' from her Cazoo World Darts Championship debut, after succumbing to William O’Connor in a high-quality first round tie on Friday.
Greaves has generated major headlines following her history-making exploits on the PDC Women’s Series in 2022, winning eight consecutive titles to seal her Alexandra Palace bow.
The 18-year-old created another slice of history in the capital by becoming the youngest woman to compete at the World Darts Championship on Friday, although her highly-anticipated debut ended in a 3-0 defeat.
Despite the scoreline, Greaves produced glimpses of the form that saw her win 52 consecutive matches on the Women’s Series, taking out 120 and 122 finishes in the early exchanges.
The teenage sensation missed double 16 to win the opening set and wired the bull for a 161 finish to win the second, and a clinical O’Connor capitalised to progress in impressive style.
“I will learn from it, and hopefully next time I’ll be a bit better. For my first time, I’m not too disheartened,” reflected Greaves post-match.
“I think I was trying a bit too hard to live up to the expectation that was put on me, but I’m happy to just relax now, have a nice Christmas with my family and put it behind me.
“I started well, and I did enjoy it, but I let that second set slip out of my hands and that’s my fault.”
O’Connor reeled off three straight legs to complete an impressive turnaround in set two, following up legs of 13 and 14 darts with a 17-dart break to double his cushion.
The UK Open semi-finalist then kicked off set three with a 107 combination, before wrapping up a straight-sets success with a 94 average and three maximums.
“That is what you get when you’re playing at the top standard in the men’s game,” reflected Greaves, who was bidding to become only the second woman to triumph on the famous Ally Pally stage.
“I’ve been hitting those big checkouts all year; I just lacked that composure when I needed it.
“Fair play to him [O’Connor], he was absolutely lovely. He made me feel welcome and I wish him all the best for the rest of the tournament.”
It has still been a year to remember for the Doncaster darter, who followed up her success in the WDF Women’s World Championship with a series of record-breaking displays on the Women’s Series circuit.
Greaves produced the highest average recorded by a female player on the Women’s Series in October, averaging 107.86 to topple Fallon Sherrock 5-3 in an epic contest.
The teenager is also set to star in next year's Betfred Women’s World Matchplay, and she insists her first Alexandra Palace experience has given her the taste for more big stage opportunities in the PDC.
“I am only 18 and hopefully I can come back from it. I’m not going to let that one game dictate the whole year for me,” added Greaves.
“I’ve had a great year and I’m happy to put the darts down for a bit, enjoy Christmas and get back to it in the New Year.
“Being up there has made me realise that I can play to a decent level. I need to be better if I’m going to compete [against the best], but I enjoyed the experience.”